Hey all!
A wonderful sex worker rights activist, Hima B., has created a documentary about the economics and labour politics of stripping. Called “License to Pimp”, the synopsis tells us:
What would you do if the strip club where you worked at became a brothel? Would you adapt to it, fight it, or quit? License to Pimp chronicles 3 strippers facing this dilemma. Lola competes with club prostitutes to keep her job & support her family. Daisy tries to get the city to enforce the laws & is up against strip club management & the strippers themselves who want to maintain the status quo. Mariko quits working in the strip clubs & works independently of the club circuit so she can retain her earnings. Ex-stripper & filmmaker Hima B. goes behind the scenes to reveal current workplace realities & show how the clubs operate by violating workers’ rights.
I’m very excited about this film, especially since it is directed by a non-white sex worker– our voices are rarely heard, especially outside of a very narrow stereotype depending on said sex worker’s ethnic background. This is a Kickstarter project and will only be funded if $30,000 is raised by July 18th. Any little bit will help, but of course if you are blessed enough to contribute more, then please do so. The money raised will pay for post-production costs.
I couldn’t embed the video, however, here is a direct link to the official trailer for the documentary. You will also find additional information about the documentary and the people highlighted in it at that link and here as well. So please spread the word, especially if you know of anyone who also holds labor rights’ issues near and dear to them: supporting workers’ rights should not change simply because those workers happen to be sex workers.
Thanks everyone!
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